THE RAIN TREE.

Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 41, 16 August 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE RAIN TREE.

Recently the Land and Water published a notice respecting the wonderful tree known as the "Rain Tree," which, it is stated in c the notice, grows in South America, and is so remarkable that travellers, when traversing an arid and desolate tract of country, have been struck with the strange contrast of seeing on one hand a barren desert and on the other a rich and luxuriant vegetation. The tree, this notices states, grows to the height of 60ft, with a diameter of 3ft. at its base, and it possesses the power of attracting, absorbing, and condensing the humidity of the atmosphere so strongly that water is always to be seen dripping from its trunk in such quantity as to convert the surrounding soil into a veritable marsh. The attention of the Hon. J. P. Abbott, Minister of Mines, New South Wales, was drawn to this notice, and he called for a report on the subject from the Inspector of Forests, Mr. J. Duff, who has written the following: — "Forest Conservancy Branch, Department of Mines, Sydney, 13th June, 1884. — Sir — In accordance with your instructions on Mr. Godhard's memo., numbered as per margin, I have the honour to inform you that I have obtained the following information respecting the habitats and uses of the rain tree or quango, Albizza saman (P. Yon Mueller), or Pithecolabium saman of Betham : — Baron Mueller states in his work on ' Extra Tropical Plants,' published in 1881, that ' the rain tree,' or quango, is a lofty tree, particularly valuable for wet, saline country, and it extends from Mexico to Brazil and Peru. It attains a height of 70ft, trunk 6ft in diameter, the colossal branches expanding 130 ft, and it is of quick growth, in outline not unlike an oak. it thrives best where the rainfall fluctuates between 30 and 60 inches a year — one of the best trees in mild climes for roadside shade lines. The wood is hard and ornamental, but the principal utility of the tree lies in its pulpy pods, which are produced in great abundance, and constitute a very fattening fodder for all kinds of pastoral animals, which eat them with relish.' Mr. John Smith, A.L.S., excurator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, in his ' Dictionary of Economic Plants,' published in 1882, states that the ' Zamang is the Spanish name of this tree, and that it is a native of Venezuela.' He quotes Humbolt's description of the tree, which is as follows :— 'We saw in the evening at a league distant an object which appeared in the horizon like a round hillock covered with trees. It was neither a hill nor a group of trees close to each other, but one single tree — the famous • Zamang-del-Gauyre,' remarkable for the enormous extent of its branches, which form a hemisphere head 576 ft in circumference, the diameter of the stem being 9ft near the ground. H belongs to the mimosa section of the order, Leguminasce, and is a species of the genus Pithe colabium (P. Saman). Seeds taken from the tree were raised in the Botanic Gardens, Trinidad in 1820. It appears to be fast growing when young, a tree 40 years old measuring 15ffc in circumference near the ground. It has thick, fluttish, curved pods,

about Bin. in length and 1 in. in! width, containing a sweetish pulp. They aro in common use for feeding cattle, and for that purpose the tree is now cultivated in different countries. It is also known as the rain tree.' 1 may further add that a few yeara ago a number of seedling plants of the rain tree were received in the Sydney Botanic Gardens from the Botanic Gardens, Ceylon, on receipt of which they were placed in a buf»hhouse, where they grew well during summer months; but the whole of plants perished in the winter, which would indicate that the climate of Sydney is not sufficiently warm for the cultivation of this tree. The rain ti-ee requires a moist, warm climate near the sea ; and it might succeed in some of the Northern Coast districts, but it is very doubtful if it would grow in the interior, or in districts subject to droughts aud frosts ; the latter being the localities where Buch a tree would be most required for shade and stock* feed. The statement made by travellers in South America in Land and Water attached hereto, that ' water is constantly dripping from the trunk of the tree iv such quantities as to convert the soil into a veritable marsh,' is, I think, exaggerated, and requires further reliable confirmation. Should steps be taken to ascertain if the rain tree can be procured in the colonies, and if so, to procure plants and test its snitability for various districts in New South Wales'? — I have, <fee, John Duff." Mr. Abbott has directed that steps be taken to procure some of the trees, with a view to their introduction into the colony of New South Wales.